The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Vehicles may be equipped with various sensing devices and systems that assist a vehicle operator in managing vehicle operation. Such sensors can be utilized to describe an operating environment of the vehicle. One type of sensing system is intended to identify lane geometry and estimate a vehicle position and orientation with relation to the lane. Global positioning devices (GPS) or three dimensional (3D) map devices are useful to place a vehicle at an approximate location with relation to a map. However, GPS devices are known to include positional error, low sample rates, and large lag times in response to dynamic movement of the vehicle. Such systems are useful for general navigation, but are not well adapted in isolation to provide input for vehicle operation. Exemplary systems employ sensors, such as vehicle kinematic sensors and camera systems, to position a vehicle within a lane and may work in conjunction with a GPS device.
Information regarding lane geometry and vehicle position and orientation in relation to the lane can be generated simultaneously from a number of sources. Fusion of this information into estimations of lane and vehicle data can be accomplished by a number of methods known in the art. However, many such methods utilize historical tracks and map estimations to generate estimations of lane geometry and vehicle position and orientation in relation to the lane. Additionally, many methods utilize Gaussian distribution in calculations to account for unknown trends. One having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that estimations based upon historical data and Gaussian distribution are not responsive to quick changes in inputs and generally include a lag factor.